I am old enough to remember when the Democratic Party and its leadership loved Tulsi Gabbard.
I remember when many seemingly common-sense, pragmatic Democratic voters lined up behind her during the 2020 Democratic primary because her voice was beginning to resonate with them as they searched for a younger and more populist standard-bearer. Remember, it was Gabbard who single-handedly dismantled Kamala Harris in a debate and knocked her out of the primary season before the first nominating contest.
She was a congresswoman and a Democrat, and also a tough, intelligent, highly experienced military officer with proven moral character who was connecting with the American people on multiple levels. What was not to like or admire if you were a Democratic leader looking toward the future?
But Gabbard suddenly decided that the Democratic Party no longer had the best interests of the American people and the working class at heart and was instead spot-welding itself to Big Tech, far-left multi-billionaires, and anarchists whose policies would dismantle the U.S. from within.
In October 2022, Gabbard announcemed she was leaving the Democratic Party. She stressed that the party stands for oligarchy — a government of, by and for the “powerful elite.” She further accused the party of seeking to divide the country by “by racializing every issue.”
In cutting to the heart of the matter as to why she was leaving, Gabbard said, “The Democrats of today are hostile to people of faith and spirituality. They demonize the police and protect criminals at the expense of law-abiding Americans. The Democrats of today believe in open borders and weaponize the national security state to go after political opponents. Above all else, the Democrats of today are dragging us ever closer to nuclear war.”
Flash ahead to today, and tens of millions of Americans agree with Gabbard. Including, seemingly, millions of Democrats who chose to vote for Republican Donald Trump in November 2024.
Not surprisingly, but still quite disappointingly, the Democratic leadership — which has learned nothing from its shellacking at Trump’s hands — is now ferociously anti-Gabbard and is even now maneuvering to slow-walk her confirmation as director of national intelligence. Democrats seeking to pull this clearly partisan stunt seem to have very short memories.
Back in January 2021, Avril Haines, then President-elect Joe Biden’s pick to be the director of national intelligence, was the first of Biden’s cabinet nominees to be confirmed in a strongly bipartisan 84-10 vote. Trump and Gabbard deserve the same consideration from Senate Democrats today.
Those Democrats should pause their petty partisan politics long enough to recall that Gabbard has served our nation for more than 20 years in uniform and is now a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve with three deployments overseas, including to Iraq. She rightfully put her personal political beliefs aside while in uniform, just as she will as director of national intelligence. The same Gabbard was their colleague in Congress for eight years while serving on the prestigious House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committees.
As for the “baggage” that Gabbard was repeating “Russian propaganda,” let us remember that it was Hillary Clinton who was behind much of that ugly smear after Gabbard spoke out about how disastrous a Clinton presidency would be for our nation.
As for Gabbard’s “propaganda” about Ukraine, let us also remember it is the same “propaganda” being offered up by the likes of President-elect Trump, Vice President-elect JD Vance and HHS nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Is a message “propaganda” just because it seeks to end the bloodshed in Ukraine and bring peace to the region.
On Ukraine and other controversial issues, Gabbard is in lockstep with Trump and unafraid to take on the conventional wisdom of the entrenched elites or their insatiable desire to drain the Treasury — and American taxpayers — by continually putting America last as they seek to engage in armed conflict around the world. A strategy which, as Trump has continually and rightfully pointed out, has led us to the edge of World War III.
Gabbard is an exceptional nominee who does not deserve to be “slow-rolled” by Democrats on the path to her confirmation. The people have spoken, and Trump deserves his nominees to be put in place as soon as possible.
And every day that Democrats slow-roll Trump’s national security nominees is another day that puts our nation at greater risk. It’s time for Democrats to step out of the sand box, dust themselves off, listen to the voters’ voices and do the right thing. America must come first again.
Douglas MacKinnon is a former White House and Pentagon official.
